nicola_redfern

bluebird bio reveals new UK General Manager

pharmafile | January 9, 2019 | Appointment | Business Services, Manufacturing and Production, Medical Communications, Research and Development, Sales and Marketing Bluebird Bio, appointment, pharma 

bluebird bio, a US-based gene therapy biotech with a focus on cancer and severe genetic conditions,  has named Nicola Redfern as the new General Manager of its UK business.

Originally joining the company in 2017 as UK Director of Access, Value and Evidence Strategy, Redfern brings a wealth of skills from her 30 years in sales, marketing, R&D and market access, honed predominantly in the cancer and rare disease spaces. On top of this experience, the company said that she “passionately believes people facing health challenges should have access to new innovations and that the population benefits significantly from the work our industry leads.”

“Nicola has played a critical role in our UK operations over the past 18 months. I am delighted that she will now be able to apply her leadership and extensive knowledge of the company and the pharmaceutical sector to our next phase of growth,” remarked Andrew Obenshain, bluebird bio’s head of Europe. “Nicola’s new role, which coincides with the opening of our new office in Basingstoke, is part of our wider strategy to expand our European leadership team as we prepare to launch our gene therapies and transition to a fully integrated discovery, development and commercial company.”

In her new role, Redfern will be instrumental as bluebird moves to launch its first product in Europe this year: its investigational LentiGlobin gene therapy for the treatment of transfusion-dependent β-thalassaemia (TDT) and non-β00 genotypes in adolescent and adult patients.

Commenting on her appointment, Redfern said: “I’m looking forward to building on the work the team has done to date and working with my colleagues to build an organisation focused on providing patients and families with access to our gene therapies. bluebird bio has a great culture and I’m excited to be able to lead the UK business as we move closer to launch. As a company committed to the development of gene therapies in areas of high unmet need, we want to support the UK’s efforts to tackle rare diseases. It is important we work collaboratively with health professionals, the National Health Service, Health Technology Assessment bodies, policy makers and the community affected to ensure the long-term potential of this new field of medicine is realised.”

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